Ťahyňa virus—A widespread, but neglected mosquito‐borne virus in Europe

Abstract

Ťahyňa virus (TAHV) is an orthobunyavirus and was the first arbovirus isolated from mosquitoes in Europe and is associated with floodplain areas as a characteristic biotope, hares as reservoir hosts and the mammal‐feeding mosquitoes Aedes vexans as the main vector. The disease caused by TAHV (“Valtice fever”) was detected in people with acute flu‐like illness in the 1960s, and later the medical significance of TAHV became the subject of many studies. Although TAHV infections are widespread, the prevalence and number of actual cases, clinical manifestations in humans and animals and the ecology of transmission by mosquitoes and their vertebrate hosts are rarely reported. Despite its association with meningitis in humans, TAHV is a neglected human pathogen with unknown public health importance in Central Europe, and a potential emerging disease threat elsewhere in Europe due to extreme summer flooding events.

Arbovirus screening of mosquitoes collected in 2022 in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, with the implementation of a real-time PCR for the detection of Tahyna virus

“…vexans and Ae. caspius [ 30 , 31 ], the virus has been found in several other mosquito species in different areas [ 9 , 11 ] as recorded also in this study. The detection of TAHV in different mosquitoes implicates the local involvement of different mosquito species, mainly of the Aedes genus, as vector in different ecological settings.…”

“…Indeed, old serology studies have reported the likely human circulation of the virus in Italy, particularly in wetland areas [ 46 ]. The possible increase of TAHV after flooding events [ 11 , 28 ] makes this virus potentially more dangerous in climate change scenarios, which will cause a probable increase in extreme events, such as exceptionally heavy rainfall. The detection of TAHV at an important level testify a relevant circulation of the virus and implies the potential human infection in the surveyed area, this aspect needs to be investigated, to determine the potential impact of this virus on human health.…”

“…Lagomorphs are recognized as the main host of the virus [ 11 ] and Ae . vexans as the principal vector in Central Europe.…”